Where Experience Meets Practicality

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Photography, Flat Classroom Workshop, 17 Sept 2009, Flickr CC
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Over the course of the many different TAH grants in which the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) has participated, it has become increasingly clear that listening and sharing are not just skills taught in kindergarten to get children through elementary school. Rather, they are essential skills for life, particularly when your work requires constant collaboration with a wide range of groups, including teachers, scholars, libraries, museums, and school administrators. It has also become clear that it is through listening and sharing with these many different stakeholders that the most rewarding results are achieved. This is where we find ways to make the experiences we provide meet practice in the classroom.

Institutions like museums and libraries have a unique set of resources that can enrich and revive teachers’ intellectual lives and interest in history. Beyond access to primary sources, these institutions can also provide valuable interactions with historians and curators. This is not always easy, however. One of the most common criticisms among teachers throughout our most recent TAH grant has been that while the scholars have offered a lot of interesting information, most of it is inapplicable to their classroom or grade level. In answer to this repeated concern, the TAH team, which included the AAS, Old Sturbridge Village, and the Worcester Public Schools, decided to offer separate sessions with the scholars for the different grade levels, and encouraged the scholars to follow a more informal, interactive lecture format. The feedback has been very positive and the teachers have begun to fully appreciate what specialty speakers have to offer.

Institutions like museums and libraries have a unique set of resources that can enrich and revive teachers’ intellectual lives and interest in history.

This grade-level specific content has also extended to breakout sessions, where elementary and high school teachers are looking for very different pedagogical approaches to the material. In particular, elementary teachers have often commented on the limited time they have to teach Social Studies and History, and are always looking for ways to teach the material quickly and powerfully. One way in which the team has attempted to rectify this problem is to focus on images and graphic arts. Elementary teachers have found that analyzing an image can often provide a poignant and thorough introduction to a historical subject.

Another approach has been to provide ideas about how to make history interdisciplinary, particularly highlighting its ability to connect to the English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. In some cases, the district’s ELA coordinator has presented at professional development workshops to illustrate how history can become a focal point for teaching ELA. Other workshops on the elementary level have incorporated math and science skills into a history lesson. By adjusting to the teachers’ constraints in the classroom, the professional development we provided became much more applicable and exciting for the teachers.

Elementary teachers have found that analyzing an image can often provide a poignant and thorough introduction to a historical subject.

Finally, the introduction of “teacher-coaches” to the program has been a great buoy to both the coaches and their colleagues. Among the requirements to become a teacher-coach is an independent original research project conducted in the AAS collections. Each of the coaches presents a workshop based on their research at one of the TAH professional development days. The enthusiasm these teacher-coaches gain for their subject through in-depth research brings energy into their workshops, and their ability to translate the material to classroom activities for their colleagues is greatly appreciated. Teachers have overwhelmingly deemed this an excellent opportunity for both the teacher-coaches and their colleagues.

"Shared authority" is a term often heard in the museum world these days, but I think it should also extend to collaborative programs such as TAH. By sharing authority between cultural institutions, scholars, and teachers, by really listening to each other and adjusting, by understanding each group's strengths and needs, we can create programming that is thoughtful, useful, and effective.

DC: Third Grade Standards

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(Note: In 2011, DC public schools began transitioning to the Common Core State Standards.)

  • Geography of D.C.

    • 3.1. Broad Concept: Students use cardinal directions, map scales, legends, and titles to locate places on contemporary maps of Washington, DC, and the local community.

      Students:

      1. Compare and contrast the differences between a contemporary map of Washington, DC, and maps of this area at the end of the 18th and 19th centuries. (G)
      2. Identify and locate major physical features and natural characteristics (e.g., bodies of water, land forms, natural resources, and weather) in Washington, DC. (G)
      3. Identify and locate major monuments and historical sites in and around Washington, DC (e.g., the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials, Smithsonian museums, Library of Congress, White House, Capitol, Washington Monument, National Archives, Arlington National Cemetery, African American Civil War Museum, Anacostia Museum, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, Frederick Douglass House, Mary McCleod Bethune House, Wilson Building, and Mount Vernon). (G, P)
      4. Describe the various types of communities within the city (e.g., Chinatown, Foggy Bottom, Adams Morgan, Anacostia, and Georgetown), beginning with the community in which the elementary school is located. (G, S)
      5. Describe the ways in which people have used and modified resources in the local region (e.g., building roads, bridges, and cities, and raising crops). (G, S)
      6. Explain how people depend on the physical environment and its natural resources to satisfy their basic needs. (G, S)

      Examples

      • Students compare a contemporary map to a historical map of Washington, DC, noticing the differences and similarities between them. In pairs, they create a Venn diagram to record the observations (www.loc.gov/exhibits/us.capitol/oneoone.jpg) (3.1.1).
      • Students each draw their own map of Washington, DC, accentuating certain aspects (e.g., political, physical, or specialized maps such as a detailed map of the Mall). Students compile the maps to make a class atlas of the Washington, DC, area (3.1.2).
      • Students choose a monument or historical site to research. They determine the history behind the creation of each monument or site, and they list the reasons why it is important (www.washingtondcmetroweb.com/Monuments.htm) (3.1.3).

  • Government of D.C.

    • 3.2. Broad Concept: Students understand the basic structure of the Washington, DC, government.

      Students:

      1. Describe its duties, organizational structures, and functions. (P)
      2. Explain why it is necessary for communities to have governments (e.g., governments provide order and protect rights). (P)
      3. Identify the different ways people in a community can influence their local government (e.g., by voting, running for office, testifying at hearings, or participating in meetings).
      4. Describe the distinctions between local, state, and national government. (P)
      5. Identify the representative leaders in Washington, DC, and neighboring states. (P)

      Examples

      • Students create a scenario related to a school policy over which there has been some disagreement (e.g., dress code). They develop a list of reasons for and against the policy and discuss what should happen if some students decide to ignore the policy (3.2.2).
      • Students choose an issue of importance to their community (e.g., an issue about littering or recycling of waste) and brainstorm ways in which they can influence their local government to support such an issue. As a class, students create an action plan to address their issue, including inviting a local activist or elected official to speak to the class about how they are addressing the issue (3.2.3).
      • Students determine an issue of interest to them (e.g., an issue about graffiti or school safety) and research the ramifications to the city if the issue is not addressed. They write a letter to their representative in support of or against certain actions to address it (3.2.4).

  • Economy of the Local Region

    • 3.3. Broad Concept: Students demonstrate basic economic reasoning skills and an understanding of the economy of the local region.

      Students:

      1. Outline the ways in which local producers have used and are using natural resources, human resources, and capital resources to produce goods and services in the past and the present. (G, E)
      2. Explain what a tax is and the purposes for taxes, and with the help of their teachers and parents, provide examples of different kinds of taxes (e.g., property, sales, income). (E)
      3. Describe the specialization in jobs and businesses and provide examples of specialized businesses in the community. (E)
      4. Define what bartering is (e.g., trading baseball cards with each other) and how money makes it easier for people to get things they want. (E)
      5. Identify ways in which Washington, DC, meets the economic needs of its citizens (e.g., housing, jobs, health, transportation, recreation). (E, S)

      Examples

      • In small groups, students assign dollar values to postcards of the historic sites of Washington, DC. Students then barter with one another to get the most desirable cards. Students repeat the exercise with play money and compare the two methods of trading (3.3.4).

  • History of D.C. (18th-20th Centuries)

    • 3.4. Broad Concept: Emphasizing the most significant differences, students describe Washington, DC, at the end of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

      Students:

      1. Compare and contrast how people in the past met their needs in different ways (e.g., hunting and gathering, subsistence agriculture, barter, commerce, and manufacturing). (E)
      2. Construct a chronological explanation of key people and events that were important in shaping the character of Washington, DC, during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. (H, P, S)
      3. Understand the unique nature of Washington, DC, as the nation’s capital, a multicultural urban city, and the jurisdiction that provides the state and local government for its residents. (P, S)
      4. Explain how Washington, DC, was selected and named as our capital city. (P, S)
      5. Identify and research outstanding statements of moral and civic principles made in Washington, DC, and the leaders who delivered them, that contributed to the struggle to extend equal rights to all Americans (e.g., Lincoln and his second inaugural address, Frederick Douglass and his speech against lynching at the Metropolitan AME Church, Martin Luther King Jr. and his speeches at the Lincoln Memorial in 1957 and 1963, and Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales at the Poor People’s March). (P)

      Examples

      • Students research the biographies of important historical figures in Washington, DC. They create brochures to represent the accomplishments of their person and display them on a timeline (3.4.2).
      • Students listen to Martin’s Big Words, by Doreen Rappaport, and to Dr. King’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial. In pairs, students illustrate key sections of the speech to display on a bulletin board (3.4.5).
    • 3.5. Broad Concept: Students draw from historical and community resources to organize the sequence of local historical events and describe how each period of settlement left its mark on the land. (G, P)

      Examples

      • In small groups, students research different periods of Washington, DC, history and write a skit to represent it. They create a map (or use primary source maps and/or pictures) to show how the city appeared at the time of settlement. They present their skits and maps to the class in chronological order (3.5).

A Day On, Not a Day Off

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Logo, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
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Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Since 1994 and the signing into law of the King Holiday and Service Act, the holiday is a "day on, not a day off," a national day of service. According to the King Center, King's widow, Coretta Scott King, described the holiday this way:

Every King Holiday has been a national "teach-in" on the values of nonviolence, including unconditional love, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation, which are so desperately needed to unify America. It is a day of intensive education and training in Martin's philosophy and methods of nonviolent social change and conflict-reconciliation. The Holiday provides a unique opportunity to teach young people to fight evil, not people, to get in the habit of asking themselves, "what is the most loving way I can resolve this conflict?"

Maybe you've given your students background on the holiday and prepared them to get involved in the local community today. But Martin Luther King Jr. Day shouldn't be the only day your students are ready to serve—and King isn't the only topic that can connect service and history education.

More Than One Day of Service

President Barack Obama's United We Serve initiative calls on citizens to come together to improve their communities. The government Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service website reflects that call, and provides resources you can draw on throughout the year.

Helping to preserve history can be service, too!

Use this site to familiarize yourself (and your students, depending on their grade level and readiness to organize projects) with service opportunities in your area. Search by city, state, or zip code; register your own project; or read up on planning a project with the site's detailed Action Guides.

Now consider your curriculum and your local community. Don't limit yourself to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement, or to the third Monday of January. Think about the Great Depression, the New Deal, the Progressive Era, the women's rights movement, the victory gardens and scrap drives of the World War II homefront, the Berlin Airlift. What sorts of projects might you guide students in initiating (or at least considering) for any of these topics or time periods that would also help them learn—and feel connected to—historical content?

Serving to Preserve

Helping to preserve history can be service, too! Listen to teacher James Percoco speak on teaching with memorials and monuments and think about your local history. Are there places that need young volunteers? Locations that students could research and then prepare their own interpretive materials?

Use Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a reminder not just to memorialize history, but to empower students to connect with, interpret, and preserve it in the service of the present!

Resources on Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sounds good, you say, but maybe you need resources for teaching about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement, before you head off onto wider projects. Last year, we recommended a variety of online resources in our Jan. 13 blog entry. Here are those recommendations again—and a few new ones! Remember to search our Website Reviews and try our Lesson Plan Gateway for even more links to great materials.

Presidents in the Library

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Photo, US Flag, Kennedy Library, Boston, Feb. 16, 2009, Tony the Misfit, Flickr
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Happy (almost) Presidents Day! Have your ever thought about all of the papers a presidency must create? Emails, memoranda, schedules, notes, speeches, letters, drafts, on and on and on, an entire term (or terms) set down in a sea of potential primary sources. But how can educators access this wealth of materials?

In many cases, all you have to do is go online. Before the 20th century, presidents had ownership of their papers, and many were lost to time or split up in private collections. However, in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided that his papers should become the property of the American people following his presidency. He donated both his papers and part of his Hyde Park estate to the government, and the first presidential library was born.

In 1955, the Presidential Libraries Act set rules for gifting the government with property and other resources to be used to establish the libraries, and in 1978, the Presidential Records Act made it official—presidential papers were government property.

Today, 13 presidential libraries house the papers of the last 13 presidents. The National Archives and Records Administration, which oversees the libraries, describes them as combination archive-museums, “bringing together in one place the documents and artifacts of a President and his administration and presenting them to the public for study and discussion without regard for political considerations or affiliation.”

Presidential Libraries Online

Each of the libraries maintains its own website. Though the resources available on each vary greatly, almost all provide biographical information on the president and first lady, student and educator sections, and a selection of digitized photographs and documents. Some have extensive searchable databases full of documents, photos, and other primary sources! Here's a list of the libraries:

  • Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, West Branch, IA — features 13 simple online exhibits and Hoover Online! Digital Archives, a collection of suggested units and lesson plans for secondary students with primary sources.
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, NY — the first presidential library, completed in 1940. Offers five curriculum guides, an online exhibit on the art of the New Deal, and the Pare Lorentz Center, which encourages using multimedia to teach about FDR.
  • Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, MO — offers a searchable lesson plan database and digitized photographs, audio clips, and political cartoons, as well as documents divided up by topic (topics include such teachable subjects as the decision to drop the atom bomb and Japanese Americans during World War II).
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Abilene, KS — features a selection of online documents, grouped by topics (topics include Brown vs. Board of Education, Hawaiian statehood, McCarthyism, and others), and transcripts of oral history interviews.
  • John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Boston, MA — provides six online exhibits (including exhibits on the space program, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and desegregating the University of Mississippi), a photo gallery, major speeches, and a searchable digital archive. It also houses the Ernest Hemingway Collection.
  • Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, Austin, TX — features a photo archive, the presidential daily diary, selected speeches, and the subsite LBJ for Kids!
  • Richard Nixon Presidential Library, Yorba Linda, CA — includes digitized documents, samples of the Nixon tapes, a photo gallery, video oral histories, four lesson plans, and online exhibits on Watergate, gifts to the head of state, and Nixon's meeting with Elvis.
  • Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, Ann Arbor, MI — features 10 simple online exhibits, as well as digitized documents and photos.
  • Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, Atlanta, GA — offers selected documents and photographs, including the diary of Robert C. Ode, hostage in the Iran Hostage Crisis.
  • Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, CA — includes an image archive arranged by topic, and the public papers of Reagan, arranged by month and year.
  • George H. W. Bush Presidential Library, College Station, TX — includes 12 lesson plans, a photo archive, and searchable public papers of his presidency.
  • William J. Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock, AR — has both virtual exhibits and a digital library in development.
  • George W. Bush Presidential Library — the newest of the public libraries, it does not yet have a permanent building. Many papers from the Bush administration are not yet available to the public (papers become public five years after the end of a presidency, which can be extended up to 12 years).

Remember that many of the presidential libraries offer museum tours and activities for school groups! If your school is close to one, consider a field trip or participating in the professional development opportunities the library may offer.

Beyond the Libraries

Looking for resources on a pre-Hoover president? Several libraries exist outside of the official presidential library system, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum, and the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum. Try the Library of Congress's American Memory collections, as well, for papers that belonged to Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.

Historic Stories, Fictional Accounts: Achieving Multiperspectivity

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Photography, for heart and mind, 21 Jan 2010, Flickr CC
Question

What is the significance of examining historical events from multiple perspectives (i.e. use of fiction, nonfiction, etc.) on an elementary school level?

Answer
Multiple Perspectives

Examining historical events from multiple perspectives introduces elementary students to core aspects of history and historical thinking. And as with much of history, it has relevance to helping students become more prepared for the responsibilities of citizenship, college, and career.

Imagine that students are learning about early American settlements. Depending on where you teach and your curriculum, this might include learning about the Mayflower and Plymouth, Jamestown, or the Missions in California. Students read stories or textbook accounts of these early settlements and they learn the difficulties of the passage here and making a new life in a foreign land.

Students can learn to ask, whose voices are we not hearing?

Yet, this is only part of the story and to get a fuller picture, students need to consider the perspectives of those not necessarily represented in these accounts—most obviously, the perspective of the indigenous peoples who were here when the settlers arrived. (Viewing the settlements from this alternative perspective is not necessarily easy given that the historical record is incomplete, but using artifacts, surviving legends, historic sites, or even settlers’ first hand accounts can help students imagine this perspective.) Considering this missing perspective helps students recognize and articulate that people can experience the same event in different ways.

Students can learn to ask, whose voices are we not hearing? What perspective is not represented? What alternative stories are told about these events? Did participants in these events agree on their meaning? What might account for these differences in perspective?

This is a key piece of doing history—understanding that there are multiple perspectives and multiple stories that surround historical phenomena. And elementary students can learn this. Connections to daily life can be made, as students are familiar with such things as sifting through playmates’ differing accounts of recess events. Multiple perspectives can also be introduced in very concrete ways to young students. They could view something from different locations to see different aspects of it, or use tools such as a cardboard picture frame to see how a frame is selective--including some aspects of the view while ignoring others.

Ideally, students can learn to ask the same questions of daily life and sources that they learn to ask of history: Whose voices are we not hearing? What are the other stories that people tell about this issue? How and why do they differ?

Fiction & Nonfiction

You ask particularly about the use of fiction and nonfiction to teach multiple perspectives. See this entry about “book sets” a strategy for including both to engage students and guide them toward deep understanding of historical events. Also see this roundtable where panelists discuss the use of fiction in the elementary classroom or this blog.

Using both fiction and nonfiction allows students to engage with multiple kinds of text and it allows you, as teacher, to use the texts for different purposes. Good fiction can be used to engage and interest students in the past and help them imagine that past or create a picture of the historical context of the events you are studying. Non-fictional texts, such as primary sources, can be used to explore an experience or perspective in more depth and to represent missing perspectives. Both can be used to challenge students to look across and synthesize texts to create a fuller picture of the past.

A critical aspect of using both fiction and nonfiction texts together is that they give you an opportunity to teach students the difference between the two.

A critical aspect of using both fiction and non-fiction texts together is that they give you an opportunity to teach students the difference between the two. Young students can learn that history is an evidentiary discipline and strives for the most accurate and complete picture of the past, whereas fiction does not have this constraint. While there are examples of fictional stories that try to do the same, this basic distinction is an important one for students to learn.

Teaching young students that history includes multiple stories and perspectives aligns with the Common Core State Standards, and can prepare students for future history classes and academic work. But, more significantly, it is critical for helping students understand that their perspective can be partial and does not represent all peoples—it can help them develop empathy and be more skeptical of the single account as the one true answer in our complex world.

For more information

Also see this Ask a Master Teacher answer about the manner in which multiperspectivity can be used in the history classroom.

South Carolina's Third Grade Standards

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  • SC.3-1. Standard / Course: South Carolina Studies

    The student will demonstrate an understanding of places and regions and the role of human systems in South Carolina.

    • 3-1.1. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

      Categorize the six landform regions of South Carolina—the Blue Ridge, the Piedmont, the Sand Hills, the Inner Coastal Plain, the Outer Coastal Plain, and the Coastal Zone—according to their climate, physical features, and natural resources.

    • 3-1.2. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

      Describe the location and characteristics of significant features of South Carolina, including landforms; river systems such as the Pee Dee River Basin, the Santee River Basin, the Edisto River Basin, and the Savannah River Basin; major cities; and climate regions.

    • 3-1.3. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

      Explain interactions between the people and the physical landscape of South Carolina over time, including the effects on population distribution, patterns of migration, access to natural resources, and economic development.

    • Social Studies Literacy Skills for the Twenty-First Century:

      1. Interpret information from a variety of social studies resources.(3-1)
      2. Recognize maps, mental maps, and geographic models as representations of spatial relationships.
      3. Find and describe the locations and conditions of places.
      4. Understand that people make choices based on the scarcity of resources.
      5. Share thoughts and ideas willingly.
      6. Use visual elements as aids to understand where, when, why, and how.
      (3-1)Social studies resources include the following: texts, calendars, timelines, maps, mental maps, charts, tables, graphs, flow charts, diagrams, photographs, illustrations, paintings, cartoons, architectural drawings, documents, letters, censuses, artifacts, models, geographic models, aerial photographs, satellite-produced images, and geographic information systems.

    • SC.3-2. Standard / Course: South Carolina Studies

      The student will demonstrate an understanding of the exploration and settlement of South Carolina.

      • 3-2.1. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

        Compare the culture, governance, and physical environment of the major Native American tribal groups of South Carolina, including the Cherokee, Catawba, and Yemassee.

      • 3-2.2. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

        Summarize the motives, activities, and accomplishments of the exploration of South Carolina by the Spanish, French, and English.

      • 3-2.3. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

        Describe the initial contact, cooperation, and conflict between the Native Americans and European settlers in South Carolina.

      • 3-2.4. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

        Summarize the development of the Carolina colony under the Lords Proprietors and the royal colonial government, including settlement by and trade with the people of Barbados and the influence of other immigrant groups.

      • 3-2.5. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

        Explain the role of Africans in developing the culture and economy of South Carolina, including the growth of the slave trade; slave contributions to the plantation economy; the daily lives of the enslaved people; the development of the Gullah culture; and their resistance to slavery.

      • Social Studies Literacy Skills for the Twenty-First Century:

        1. Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
        2. Interpret information from a variety of social studies resources.(3-2)
        3. Recognize maps, mental maps, and geographic models as representations of spatial relationships.
        4. Find and describe the location and condition of places.
        5. Distinguish between wants and needs and between consumers and producers.
        6. Use visual elements as aids to understand where, when, why, and how.
        (3-2)Social studies resources include the following: texts, calendars, timelines, maps, mental maps, charts, tables, graphs, flow charts, diagrams, photographs, illustrations, paintings, cartoons, architectural drawings, documents, letters, censuses, artifacts, models, geographic models, aerial photographs, satellite-produced images, and geographic information systems.

      • SC.3-3. Standard / Course: South Carolina Studies

        The student will demonstrate an understanding of the American Revolution and South Carolina’s role in the development of the new American nation.

        • 3-3.1. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

          Summarize the causes of the American Revolution, including Britain’s passage of the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Intolerable Acts; the rebellion of the colonists; and the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

        • 3-3.2. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

          Compare the perspectives of South Carolinians during the American Revolution, including Patriots, Loyalists, women, enslaved and free Africans, and Native Americans.

        • 3-3.3. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

          Summarize the course of the American Revolution in South Carolina, including the role of William Jasper and Fort Moultrie; the occupation of Charles Town by the British; the partisan warfare of Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pickens, and Francis Marion; and the battles of Cowpens, Kings Mountain, and Eutaw Springs.

        • 3-3.4. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

          Summarize the effects of the American Revolution, including the establishment of state and national governments.

        • 3-3.5. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

          Outline the structure of state government, including the branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial), the representative bodies of each branch (general assembly, governor, and supreme court), and the basic powers of each branch.

        • Social Studies Literacy Skills for the Twenty-First Century:

          1. Distinguish between past, present, and future time.
          2. Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
          3. Interpret information from a variety of social studies resources.(3-3)
          4. Share thoughts and ideas willingly.
          5. Use visual elements as aids to understand where, when, why, and how.
          (3-3)Social studies resources include the following: texts, calendars, timelines, maps, mental maps, charts, tables, graphs, flow charts, diagrams, photographs, illustrations, paintings, cartoons, architectural drawings, documents, letters, censuses, artifacts, models, geographic models, aerial photographs, satellite-produced images, and geographic information systems.

        • SC.3-4. Standard / Course: South Carolina Studies

          The student will demonstrate an understanding of life in the antebellum period, the causes and effects of the Civil War, and the impact of Reconstruction in South Carolina.

          • 3-4.1. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Compare the economic conditions for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the enslaved and free African Americans.

          • 3-4.2. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Summarize the development of slavery in antebellum South Carolina, including the invention of the cotton gin and the subsequent expansion of and economic dependence on slavery.

          • 3-4.3. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Explain the reasons for South Carolina’s secession from the Union, including the abolitionist movement and the concept of states’ rights.

          • 3-4.4. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Summarize the course of the Civil War in South Carolina, including the Secession Convention, the firing on Fort Sumter, the Union blockade of Charleston, the significance of the Hunley submarine; the exploits of Robert Smalls; and General William T. Sherman’s march through the state.

          • 3-4.5. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Explain how the destruction caused by the Civil War affected the economy and daily lives of South Carolinians, including the scarcity of food, clothing, and living essentials and the continuing racial tensions.

          • 3-4.6. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Summarize the positive and negative effects of Reconstruction in South Carolina, including the development of public education; the establishment of sharecropping; racial advancements and tensions; and the attempts to rebuild towns, factories, and farms.

          • Social Studies Literacy Skills for the Twenty-First Century:

            1. Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
            2. Interpret information from a variety of social studies resources.(3-4)
            3. Find and describe the location and condition of places.
            4. Work in teams to learn collaboratively.
            5. Use visual elements as aids to understand where, when, why, and how.
            (3-4)Social studies resources include the following: texts, calendars, timelines, maps, mental maps, charts, tables, graphs, flow charts, diagrams, photographs, illustrations, paintings, cartoons, architectural drawings, documents, letters, censuses, artifacts, models, geographic models, aerial photographs, satellite-produced images, and geographic information systems.

        • SC.3-5. Standard / Course: South Carolina Studies

          The student will demonstrate an understanding of the major developments in South Carolina in the late nineteenth and the twentieth century.

          • 3-5.1. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Summarize the social and economic impact of developments in agriculture, industry and technology, including the creation of Jim Crow laws, the rise and fall of textile markets, and the expansion of the railroad.

          • 3-5.2. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Explain the causes and impact of emigration from South Carolina and internal migration from rural areas to the cities, including discrimination and unemployment; poor sanitation and transportation services; and the lack of electricity and other modern conveniences in rural locations.

          • 3-5.3. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Explain the effects of the Great Depression on daily life in South Carolina, including the widespread poverty and unemployment and the efforts of the federal government to create jobs through a variety of New Deal programs.

          • 3-5.4. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Summarize the social and economic impact of World War II and the Cold War on South Carolina, including the end of the Great Depression, improvements in modern conveniences, increased opportunities for women and African Americans, and the significance of the opening and eventual closing of military bases.

          • 3-5.5. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Summarize the development of economic, political, and social opportunities of African Americans in South Carolina, including the end of Jim Crow laws; the desegregation of schools (Briggs v. Elliott) and other public facilities; and efforts of African Americans to achieve the right to vote.

          • 3-5.6. Knowledge And Skills / Essential Question:

            Describe the growth of tourism and its impact on the economy of South Carolina, including the development of historic sites, state parks, and resorts and the expanding transportation systems that allow for greater access to our state.

          • Social Studies Literacy Skills for the Twenty-First Century:

            1. Distinguish between past, present, and future time.
            2. Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
            3. Interpret information from a variety of social studies resources.(3-5)
            4. Find and describe the location and condition of places.
            5. Understand that people make choices based on the scarcity of resources.
            6. Use visual elements as aids to understand where, when, why, and how.
            (3-5)Social studies resources include the following: texts, calendars, timelines, maps, mental maps, charts, tables, graphs, flow charts, diagrams, photographs, illustrations, paintings, cartoons, architectural drawings, documents, letters, censuses, artifacts, models, geographic models, aerial photographs, satellite-produced images, and geographic information systems.

    • Colorado: 3rd-Grade Standards

    Article Body

    CO.1. Standard: History

    • CO.1.1. Concepts and skills students master:

      • People in the past influence the development and interaction of different communities or regions

      Evidence Outcomes

      Students can:
      • a. Compare past and present situations and events
      • b. Chronologically sequence important events in a community or region
      • c. Give examples of people and events, and developments that brought important changes to a community or region
      • d. Describe the history, interaction, and contribution of the various peoples and cultures that have lived in or migrated to a community or region

      21st-century Skills and Readiness Competencies

      Inquiry Questions:
      1. How have different groups of people both lived together and interacted with each other in the past?
      2. What types of questions do people ask to learn about the past?
      4. What types of questions do people ask to learn about the past?
      • Relevance and Application:
    1. The context and information from the past is used to make connections and inform decisions in the present. For example, the development and traditions of various groups in a region affect the economic development, tourist industry and the cultural make-up of a community.
    2. Technological developments continue to evolve and affect the present and permit innovation in a region. For example, Hispanics influence the culture in Pueblo; the military affects the culture in the Pikes Peak region; and the ski industry and mining affect the mountains.
    Nature of History:
    1. Historical thinkers ask questions to guide their research into the past.
    2. Historical thinkers analyze the interaction, patterns, and contributions of various cultures and groups in the past.

    New Jersey: 3rd-Grade Standards

    Article Body

    (Note: By the completion of fourth grade, New Jersey students are expected to master the following standards.)

    Social Studies Standard 6.1—U.S. History: America in the World

    All students will acquire the knowledge and skills to think analytically about how past and present interactions of people, cultures, and the environment shape the American heritage. Such knowledge and skills enable students to make informed decisions that reflect fundamental rights and core democratic values as productive citizens in local, national, and global communities.

    • A: Civics, Government, and Human Rights

      • Rules and laws are developed to protect peopleís rights and the security and welfare of society.
        • 6.1.4.A.1: Explain how rules and laws created by community, state, and national governments protect the rights of people, help resolve conflicts, and promote the common good.

      • The United States Constitution and Bill of Rights guarantee certain fundamental rights for citizens.
        • 6.1.4.A.2: Explain how fundamental rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights (i.e., freedom of expression, freedom of religion, the right to vote, and the right to due process) contribute to the continuation and improvement of American democracy.

      • American constitutional government is based on principles of limited government, shared authority, fairness, and equality.
        • 6.1.4.A.3: Determine how ìfairness,î ìequality,î and the ìcommon goodî have influenced change at the local and national levels of United States government.

      • There are different branches within the United States government, each with its own structure, leaders, and processes, and each designed to address specific issues and concerns.
        • 6.1.4.A.4: Explain how the United States government is organized and how the United States Constitution defines and limits the power of government.
        • 6.1.4.A.5: Distinguish the roles and responsibilities of the three branches of the national government.
        • 6.1.4.A.6: Explain how national and state governments share power in the federal system of government.

      • In a representative democracy, individuals elect representatives to act on the behalf of the people.
        • 6.1.4.A.7: Explain how the United States functions as a representative democracy, and describe the roles of elected representatives and how they interact with citizens at local, state, and national levels.
        • 6.1.4.A.8: Compare and contrast how government functions at the community, county, state, and national levels, the services provided, and the impact of policy decisions made at each level.

      • The examination of individual experiences, historical narratives, and events promotes an understanding of individual and community responses to the violation of fundamental rights.
        • 6.1.4.A.9: Compare and contrast responses of individuals and groups, past and present, to violations of fundamental rights.
        • 6.1.4.A.10: Describe how the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights leaders served as catalysts for social change and inspired social activism in subsequent generations.

      • The United States democratic system requires active participation of its citizens.
        • 6.1.4.A.11: Explain how the fundamental rights of the individual and the common good of the country depend upon all citizens exercising their civic responsibilities at the community, state, national, and global levels.
        • 6.1.4.A.12: Explain the process of creating change at the local, state, or national level.

      • Immigrants can become and obtain the rights of American citizens.
        • 6.1.4.A.13: Describe the process by which immigrants become United States citizens.

      • The world is comprised of nations that are similar to and different from the United States.
        • 6.1.4.A.14: Describe how the world is divided into many nations that have their own governments, languages, customs, and laws.

      • In an interconnected world, it important to consider different cultural perspectives before proposing solutions to local, state, national, and global challenges.
        • 6.1.4.A.15: Explain how and why it is important that people from diverse cultures collaborate to find solutions to community, state, national, and global challenges.
        • 6.1.4.A.16: Explore how national and international leaders, businesses, and global organizations promote human rights and provide aid to individuals and nations in need.

    • B: Geography, People, and the Environment

      • Spatial thinking and geographic tools can be used to describe and analyze the spatial patterns and organization of people, places, and environments on Earth.
        • 6.1.4.B.1: Compare and contrast information that can be found on different types of maps, and determine when the information may be useful.
        • 6.1.4.B.2: Use physical and political maps to explain how the location and spatial relationship of places in New Jersey, the United States, and other areas, worldwide, have contributed to cultural diffusion and economic interdependence.
        • 6.1.4.B.3: Explain how and when it is important to use digital geographic tools, political maps, and globes to measure distances and to determine time zones and locations using latitude and longitude.

      • Places are jointly characterized by their physical and human properties.
        • 6.1.4.B.4: Describe how landforms, climate and weather, and availability of resources have impacted where and how people live and work in different regions of New Jersey and the United States.

      • The physical environment can both accommodate and be endangered by human activities.
        • 6.1.4.B.5: Describe how human interaction impacts the environment in New Jersey and the United States.

      • Regions form and change as a result of unique physical/ecological conditions, economies, and cultures.
        • 6.1.4.B.6: Compare and contrast characteristics of regions in the United States based on culture, economics, politics, and physical environment to understand the concept of regionalism.

      • Patterns of settlement across Earthís surface differ markedly from region to region, place to place, and time to time.
        • 6.1.4.B.7: Explain why some locations in New Jersey and the United States are more suited for settlement than others.
        • 6.1.4.B.8: Compare ways people choose to use and divide natural resources.

      • Advancements in science and technology can have unintended consequences that impact individuals and/or societies.
        • 6.1.4.B.9: Relate advances in science and technology to environmental concerns, and to actions taken to address them.

      • Urban areas, worldwide, share common physical characteristics, but may also have cultural differences.
        • 6.1.4.B.10: Identify the major cities in New Jersey, the United States, and major world regions, and explain how maps, globes, and demographic tools can be used to understand tangible and intangible cultural differences.

    • C: Economics, Innovation, and Technology

      • People make decisions based on their needs, wants, and the availability of resources.
        • 6.1.4.C.1: Apply opportunity cost to evaluate individualsí decisions, including ones made in their communities.
        • 6.1.4.C.2: Distinguish between needs and wants and explain how scarcity and choice influence decisions made by individuals, communities, and nations.

      • Economics is a driving force for the occurrence of various events and phenomena in societies.
        • 6.1.4.C.3: Explain why incentives vary between and among producers and consumers.
        • 6.1.4.C.4: Describe how supply and demand influence price and output of products.
        • 6.1.4.C.5: Explain the role of specialization in the production and exchange of goods and services.

      • Interaction among various institutions in the local, national, and global economies influence policymaking and societal outcomes.
        • 6.1.4.C.6: Describe the role and relationship among households, businesses, laborers, and governments within the economic system.
        • 6.1.4.C.7: Explain how the availability of private and public goods and services is influenced by the global market and government.
        • 6.1.4.C.8: Illustrate how production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services are interrelated and are affected by the global market and events in the world community.

      • Availability of resources affects economic outcomes.
        • 6.1.4.C.9: Compare and contrast how access to and use of resources affects people across the world differently.

      • Understanding of financial instruments and outcomes assists citizens in making sound decisions about money, savings, spending, and investment.
        • 6.1.4.C.10: Explain the role of money, savings, debt, and investment in individualsí lives.
        • 6.1.4.C.11: Recognize the importance of setting long-term goals when making financial decisions within the community.

      • Creativity and innovation affect lifestyle, access to information, and the creation of new products and services.
        • 6.1.4.C.12: Evaluate the impact of ideas, inventions, and other contributions of prominent figures who lived New Jersey.
        • 6.1.4.C.13: Determine the qualities of entrepreneurs in a capitalistic society.

      • Economic opportunities in New Jersey and other states are related to the availability of resources and technology.
        • 6.1.4.C.14: Compare different regions of New Jersey to determine the role that geography, natural resources, climate, transportation, technology, and/or the labor force have played in economic opportunities.
        • 6.1.4.C.15: Describe how the development of different transportation systems impacted the economies of New Jersey and the United States.

      • Creativity and innovation have led to improvements in lifestyle, access to information, and the creation of new products.
        • 6.1.4.C.16: Explain how creativity and innovation resulted in scientific achievement and inventions in many cultures during different historical periods.
        • 6.1.4.C.17: Determine the role of science and technology in the transition from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and then to the information age.
        • 6.1.4.C.18: Explain how the development of communications systems has led to increased collaboration and the spread of ideas throughout the United States and the world.

    • D: History, Culture, and Perspectives

      • Immigrants come to New Jersey and the United States for various reasons and have a major impact on the state and the nation.
        • 6.1.4.D.1: Determine the impact of European colonization on Native American populations, including the Lenni Lenape of New Jersey.
        • 6.1.4.D.2: Summarize reasons why various groups, voluntarily and involuntarily, immigrated to New Jersey and America, and describe the challenges they encountered.
        • 6.1.4.D.3: Evaluate the impact of voluntary and involuntary immigration on Americaís growth as a nation, historically and today.

      • Key historical events, documents, and individuals led to the development of our nation.
        • 6.1.4.D.4: Explain how key events led to the creation of the United States and the state of New Jersey.
        • 6.1.4.D.5: Relate key historical documents (i.e., the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights) to present day government and citizenship.
        • 6.1.4.D.6: Describe the civic leadership qualities and historical contributions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin toward the development of the United States government.
        • 6.1.4.D.7: Explain the role Governor William Livingston played in the development of New Jersey government.
        • 6.1.4.D.8: Determine the significance of New Jerseyís role in the American Revolution.
        • 6.1.4.D.9: Explain the impact of trans-Atlantic slavery on New Jersey, the nation, and individuals.

      • Personal, family, and community history is a source of information for individuals about the people and places around them.
        • 6.1.4.D.10: Describe how the influence of Native American groups, including the Lenni Lenape culture, is manifested in different regions of New Jersey.
        • 6.1.4.D.11: Determine how local and state communities have changed over time, and explain the reasons for changes.

      • The study of American folklore and popular historical figures enables Americans with diverse cultural backgrounds to feel connected to a national heritage.
        • 6.1.4.D.12: Explain how folklore and the actions of famous historical and fictional characters from New Jersey and other regions of the United States contributed to the American national heritage.

      • Cultures include traditions, popular beliefs, and commonly held values, ideas, and assumptions that are generally accepted by a particular group of people.
        • 6.1.4.D.13: Describe how culture is expressed through and influenced by the behavior of people.

      • American culture, based on specific traditions and values, has been influenced by the behaviors of different cultural groups living in the United States.
        • 6.1.4.D.14: Trace how the American identity evolved over time.

      • Cultures struggle to maintain traditions in a changing society.
        • 6.1.4.D.15: Explain how various cultural groups have dealt with the conflict between maintaining traditional beliefs and practices and adopting new beliefs and practices.

      • Prejudice and discrimination can be obstacles to understanding other cultures.
        • 6.1.4.D.16: Describe how stereotyping and prejudice can lead to conflict, using examples from the past and present.

      • Historical symbols and the ideas and events they represent play a role in understanding and evaluating our history.
        • 6.1.4.D.17: Explain the role of historical symbols, monuments, and holidays and how they affect the American identity.

      • The cultures with which an individual or group identifies change and evolve in response to interactions with other groups and/or in response to needs or concerns.
        • 6.1.4.D.18: Explain how an individualís beliefs, values, and traditions may reflect more than one culture.

      • People view and interpret events differently because of the times in which they live, the experiences they have had, the perspectives held by their cultures, and their individual points of view.
        • 6.1.4.D.19: Explain how experiences and events may be interpreted differently by people with different cultural or individual perspectives.
        • 6.1.4.D.20: Describe why it is important to understand the perspectives of other cultures in an interconnected world.

    Social Studies Standard 6.3—Active Citizenship in the 21st Century

    All students will acquire the skills needed to be active, informed citizens who value diversity and promote cultural understanding by working collaboratively to address the challenges that are inherent in living in an interconnected world.

    • Active citizens in the 21st century:

      1. Recognize that people have different perspectives based on their beliefs, values, traditions, culture, and experiences.
      2. Identify stereotyping, bias, prejudice, and discrimination in their lives and communities.
      3. Are aware of their relationships to people, places, and resources in the local community and beyond.
      4. Make informed and reasoned decisions by seeking and assessing information, asking questions, and evaluating alternate solutions.
      5. Develop strategies to reach consensus and resolve conflict.
      6. Demonstrate understanding of the need for fairness and take appropriate action against unfairness.

      • A: Civics, Government, and Human Rights

        • 6.3.4.A.1: Evaluate what makes a good rule or law.
        • 6.3.4.A.2: Contact local officials and community members to acquire information and/or discuss local issues.
        • 6.3.4.A.3: Select a local issue and develop a group action plan to inform school and/or community members about the issue.
        • 6.3.4.A.4: Communicate with students from various countries about common issues of public concern and possible solutions.

      • B: Geography, People, and the Environment

        • 6.3.4.B.1: Plan and participate in an advocacy project to inform others about environmental issues at the local or state level and propose possible solutions.

      • C: Economics, Innovation, and Technology

        • 6.3.4.C.1: Develop and implement a group initiative that addresses an economic issue impacting children.

      • D: History, Culture, and Perspectives

        • 6.3.4.D.1: Identify actions that are unfair or discriminatory, such as bullying, and propose solutions to address such actions.

    Social Studies Skills

    Essential Question:

    What are effective strategies for accessing various sources of information and historical evidence, determining their validity, and using them to solve a problem or find a solution to a public policy question?

    • Construct timelines of the events occurring during major eras.
    • Explain how major events are related to one another in time.
    • Select and use various geographic representations to compare information about people, places, regions, and environments.
    • Use maps and other documents to explain the historical migration of people, expansion and disintegration of empires, and growth of economic and political systems.
    • Compare and contrast differing interpretations of current and historical events.
    • Assess the credibility of sources by identifying bias and prejudice in documents, media, and computer-generated information.
    • Select and analyze information from a variety of sources to present a reasoned argument or position in a written and/or oral format.

    Ohio: 3rd-Grade Standards

    Article Body

    Theme: Communities—Past and Present, Near and Far

    The local community serves as the focal point for third grade as students begin to understand how their communities have changed over time and to make comparisons with communities in other places. The study of local history comes alive through the use of artifacts and documents. They also learn how communities are governed and how the local economy is organized.

    • History Strand

      • Historical Thinking and Skills

        • 1. Events in local history can be shown on timelines organized by years, decades and centuries.
        • 2. Primary sources such as artifacts, maps and photographs can be used to show change over time.

      • Heritage

        • 3. Local communities change over time.

    • Geography Strand

      • Spatial Thinking and Skills

        • 4. Physical and political maps have distinctive characteristics and purposes. Places can be located on a map by using the title, key, alphanumeric grid and cardinal directions.

      • Places and Regions

        • 5. Daily life is influenced by the agriculture, industry and natural resources in different communities.

      • Human Systems

        • 6. Evidence of human modification of the environment can be observed in the local community.
        • 7. Systems of transportation and communication move people, products and ideas from place to place.
        • 8. Communities may include diverse cultural groups.

    • Government Strand

      • Civic Participation and Skills

        • 9. Members of local communities have social and political responsibilities.
        • 10. Individuals make the community a better place by solving problems in a way that promotes the common good.

      • Rules and Laws

        • 11. Laws are rules which apply to all people in a community and describe ways people are expected to behave. Laws promote order and security, provide public services and protect the rights of individuals in the local community.

      • Roles and Systems of Government

        • 12. Governments have authority to make and enforce laws.
        • 13. The structure of local governments may differ from one community to another.

    • Economics Strand

      • Economic Decision Making and Skills

        • 14. Line graphs are used to show changes in data over time.
        • 15. Both positive and negative incentives affect peopleís choices and behaviors.

      • Scarcity

        • 16. Individuals must make decisions because of the scarcity of resources. Making a decision involves an opportunity cost, the value of the next best alternative given up when an economic choice is made.

      • Production and Consumption

        • 17. A consumer is a person whose wants are satisfied by using goods and services. A producer makes goods and/or provides services.

      • Markets

        • 18. A market is where buyers and sellers exchange goods and services.

      • Financial Literacy

        • 19. Making decisions involves weighing costs and benefits.
        • 20. A budget is a plan to help people make personal economic decisions for the present and future and to become more financially responsible.

    Vermont's Third Grade Standards

    Article Body

    (Note: By the completion of fourth grade, Vermont students are expected to master the following standards.)

    Vermont Academic Content Standards: History and Social Sciences

    • Inquiry

      • H&SS3-4:1—Social and Historical Questioning

        Students initiate an inquiry by:

        • Asking relevant and focusing questions based on what they have seen, what they have read, what they have listened to, and/or what they have researched (e.g., Why was the soda machine taken out of the school? Why is the number of family farms in Vermont growing smaller?).

      • H&SS3-4:2—Hypothesis/Research Statement

        Students develop a hypothesis, thesis, or research statement by:

        • Using prior knowledge to predict results or proposing a choice about a possible action (e.g., using experience from a field trip to the nature center, propose a way to preserve Vermont’s natural habitats).

      • H&SS3-4:3—Research Plan

        Students design research by:

        • Identifying resources for finding answers to their questions (e.g., books, videos, people, and the Internet).
        • Identifying tasks and how they will be completed, including a plan for citing sources (e.g., I will interview the principal about why the soda machine was taken out of the school).
        • Planning how to organize information so it can be shared.

      • H&SS3-4:4—Conducting Research

        Students conduct research by:

        • Referring to and following a plan for an inquiry.
        • Locating relevant materials such as print, electronic, and human resources.
        • Describing evidence and recording observations using notecards, videotape, tape recorders, journals, or databases (e.g., taking notes while interviewing the principal).
        • Citing sources.

      • H&SS3-4:5

        Students develop reasonable explanations that support the research statement by:

        • Organizing and displaying information in a manner appropriate to the research statement through tables, graphs, maps, dioramas, charts, narratives, and/or posters.
        • Classifying information and justifying groupings based upon observations, prior knowledge, and/or research.
        • Using appropriate methods for interpreting information such as comparing and contrasting.

      • H&SS3-4:6

        Students make connections to research by:

        • Explaining the relevance of their findings to the research question.
        • Proposing solutions to problems and asking other questions.
        • Identifying what was easy or difficult about following the research plan.

      • H&SS3-4:7

        Students communicate their findings by:

        • Giving an oral, written, or visual presentation that summarizes their findings.

    • History

      • H&SS3-4:8

        Students connect the past with the present by:

        • Explaining differences between historic and present day objects in Vermont, and identifying how the use of the object and the object itself changed over time (e.g., evaluating how the change from taps and buckets to pipelines has changed the maple sugaring industry).
        • Describing ways that life in the community and Vermont has both changed and stayed the same over time (e.g., general stores and shopping centers).
        • Examining how events, people, problems and ideas have shaped the community and Vermont (e.g., Ann Story’s role in the American Revolution).

      • H&SS3-4:9

        Students show understanding of how humans interpret history by:

        • Identifying and using various sources for reconstructing the past, such as documents, letters, diaries, maps, textbooks, photos, and others.
        • Differentiating among fact, opinion, and interpretation in various events.

      • H&SS3-4:10

        Students show understanding of past, present, and future time by:

        • Grouping historical events in the history of the local community and state by broadly defined eras.
        • Constructing time lines of significant historical developments in the community and state, and identifying the dates at which each occurred.
        • Interpreting data presented in time lines.
        • Measuring calendar time by days, weeks, months, years, decades, and centuries (e.g., How old is your town?).
        • Making predictions and/or decisions based on an understanding of the past and the present (e.g., What was farming in Vermont like in the past? What is it like now? What will it be like in the future?).
        • Identifying an important event in their communities and/or Vermont, and describing a cause and an effect of that event (e.g., Excessive rain caused the flood of 1927, and as a result communication systems have changed to warn people.).

    • Physical and Cultural Geography

      • H&SS3-4:11

        Students interpret geography and solve geographic problems by:

        • Identifying characteristics of surrounding towns and the state
          of Vermont using resources such as road signs, landmarks,
          models, maps, photographs and mental mapping.
        • Observing, comparing, and analyzing patterns of local and state land use (e.g., agriculture, forestry, industry) to understand why particular locations are used for certain human activities.
        • Locating the physical and political regions of Vermont (e.g., six regions, towns, counties).
        • Locating countries and major cities in North America.
        • Locating major global physical divisions, such as continents, oceans, poles, equator, tropics, Arctic and Antarctic Circles, tropical, mid-latitude and polar regions.
        • Creating effective geographic representations using appropriate elements to demonstrate an understanding of relative location, location, size, and shape of the local community, Vermont, the U.S., and locations worldwide (e.g., create a representation of a globe, including continents, oceans, and major parallels).
        • Identifying and using basic elements of the map (e.g., cardinal directions and key).
        • Using grid systems to locate places on maps and globes (e.g., longitude and latitude)..
        • Asking appropriate geographic questions and using geographic resources to answer them (e.g., what product is produced in a region and why; atlas, globe, wall maps, reference books).

      • H&SS3-4:12

        Students show understanding of human interaction with the environment over time by:

        • Describing how people have changed the environment in Vermont for specific purposes (e.g., clear-cutting, sheepraising, interstate highways, farming, ski resorts).
        • Identifying and participating in ways they can contribute to preserving natural resources (e.g., creating a class or school recycling center).
        • Describing a community or state environmental issue (e.g., creating a slide show describing the environmental issues surrounding Lake Champlain).
        • Describing how patterns of human activities (for example, housing, transportation, food consumption, or employment) relate to natural resource distribution (e.g., how population concentrations in Vermont developed around fertile lowlands, French/English/Indian conflict for furs in northern Vermont.)
        • Recognizing patterns of voluntary and involuntary migration in Vermont (e.g., use maps and place names to hypothesize about movements of people).

      • H&SS3-4:13

        Students analyze how and why cultures continue and change over time by:

        • Identifying expressions of culture in Vermont and the U.S., such as language, social institutions, beliefs and customs, economic activities, behaviors, material goods, food, clothing, buildings, tools, and machines (e.g., discovering how Abenaki oral tradition reflects and influences their society).
        • Describing the contributions of various cultural groups to Vermont and the U.S. (e.g., describing French cultural diffusion in Vermont).
        • Identifying ways in which culture in Vermont has changed (e.g., Colonists learning maple sugaring from the Indians, Indians acquiring metal tools in exchange for furs).

    • Civics, Government and Society

      • H&SS3-4:14

        Students act as citizens by:

        • Identifying the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a school and local community (e.g., the right to use town roads and speak one’s mind at town meeting, the responsibility to pay town taxes).
        • Demonstrating positive interaction with group members (e.g., working with a group of people to complete a task).
        • Identifying problems, planning and implementing solutions in the classroom, school or community.
        • Explaining their own point of view on issues that affect themselves and society (e.g., forming an opinion about a social or environmental issue in Vermont, then writing a letter to a legislator to try to influence change).
        • Demonstrating the role of individuals in the election processes (e.g., voting in class or mock elections).
        • Describing the roots of American culture, its development and many traditions, and the ways many people from a variety of groups and backgrounds played a role in creating it.
        • Participating in setting, following and changing the rules of the group and school.

      • H&SS3-4:15

        Students show understanding of various forms of government by:

        • Comparing similarities of rules and laws (e.g., how are bike helmet and seatbelt laws similar?).
        • Knowing where to locate written rules and laws for school and community.
        • Explaining what makes a just rule or law (e.g., provides protection for members of the group).
        • Describing how characteristics of good leadership and fair decision-making affect others (e.g., cooperative group behavior).

      • H&SS3-4:16

        Students examine how different societies address issues of human interdependence by:

        • Explaining how a community promotes human rights.
        • Identifying and describing ways regional, ethnic, and national cultures influence individuals’ daily lives (e.g., reading myths and legends to learn about the origins of culture).
        • Defining their own rights and needs—and the rights and needs of others—in the classroom, school, and community (e.g., establishing a clothing drive/swap for the needy; creating a park for roller blades).
        • Giving examples of ways that she or he is similar to and different from others (e.g. gender, race, religion, ethnicity.).
        • Citing examples, both past and present, of how diversity has led to change (e.g., Native Americans moving to reservations).
        • Identifying examples of interdependence among individuals and groups. (e.g., buyers and sellers; performers and audience).
        • Identifying behaviors that foster cooperation among individuals.
        • Identifying different types of conflict among individuals and groups (e.g., girls and boys, religion, material goods).
        • Explaining different ways in which conflict has been resolved, and different ways in which conflicts and their resolutions have affected people (e.g., reservations and Indian schools; Green Mountain Boys; treaties).

      • H&SS3-4:17

        Students examine how access to various institutions affects justice, reward, and power by:

        • Describing ways in which local institutions promote the common
          good (e.g., state police, library, recreation programs).

    • Economics

      • H&SS3-4:18

        Students show an understanding of the interaction/interdependence between humans, the environment, and the economy by:

        • Tracing the production, distribution, and consumption of goods in Vermont (e.g., after visiting a sugar house, tracing the distribution of locally-produced maple syrup).
        • Describing how producers in Vermont have used natural, human, and capital resources to produce goods and services (e.g., describing the natural, human, and capital resources needed to produce maple syrup).
        • Describing the causes and effects of economic activities on the environment in Vermont (e.g., granite industry).

      • H&SS3-4:19

        Students show understanding of the interconnectedness between government and the economy by:

        • Identifying goods and services provided by local and state governments (e.g., firefighters, highways, museums).
        • Explaining the relationship between taxation and governmental goods and services in Vermont (e.g., town taxes provide for road upkeep).
        • Describing and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using currency vs. bartering in the exchange of goods and services (e.g., an advantage of bartering is that one doesn’t need money, a disadvantage is determining fairness).

      • H&SS3-4:20

        Students make economic decisions as a consumer, producer, saver, investor, and citizen by:

        • Examining factors that influence supply and demand (e.g., Why is Vermont considering investing in wind energy?).
        • Explaining ways people meet their basic needs and wants (e.g., people buy oil because they need heat; people buy video games because they want entertainment).
        • Comparing prices of goods and services.
        • Explaining how people save (e.g., by giving up something you want, by saving your allowance, by putting money in the bank).
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